Generally, one of the highest power consuming components in computing system is a processor. To reduce power consumption, some implementations may attempt to have the processor enter a sleep or standby mode as often as possible. However, these attempts may be defeated due to occurrence of various events, e.g., triggered by other components in the system, which may force a processor to exit its lower power consumption state.
In turn, the higher power consumption may also increase heat generation. Excessive heat may damage components of a computer system. Further, the higher power utilization may increase battery consumption, e.g., in mobile computing devices, which in turn reduces the amount of time a mobile device may be operated prior to recharging. The additional power consumption may additionally require usage of larger batteries that may weigh more. Heavier batteries reduce the portability or usability of a mobile computing device.
Accordingly, overall system power consumption and utility may be directly related to how long a processor is maintained in a lower power consumption state.